100805
by pinkblood
Summary: COMPLETE Dan is fed up with how Serena shuts him out. He's done... until Blair comes to the rescue. DS
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**: Hi everyone! This is a Dan/Serena story. I wrote this after watching the promos for "Woman on the Verge" so be warned… There are mild spoilers inside, which, of course, belong to the wonderful writers of GG. That being said, please read and review. :D Thanks!

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**CHAPTER 1: Messier than all the Jimmy Choos, Prada Bags, and Designer Clothes**

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She couldn't find a thing.

Serena Van der Woodsen's room was this: a complete and utter mess. But she didn't care. And if hiding under all the clutter would make all the pain and problems go away, then she wouldn't mind, in any bit, to bury herself in all the Jimmy Choos, Prada bags, and designer clothes that littered the room.

But that was impossible.

What was hopefully possible, though, was to find her SAT reviewer. She remembered falling asleep while studying the night before. She attempted to clear her bed of all the clothes, scarves, school things, and whatnot.

"Where is it?!" She groaned in nuisance throwing a Marc Jacobs top onto the floor.

After what seemed like forever, a small pile of folders finally caught her eye. She sighed; feeling a bit satisfied to have finally found what she was looking for. She grabbed the folders briskly sending papers flying all over the floor.

As fast as that one bit of satisfaction has come, it was gone. She sighed of desperation this time, getting on her knees and attempting to retrieve the new mess that was her reviewer. As she was picking papers here and there, arranging them by page number, four pieces of spiral-notebook paper caught her dead in her tracks.

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_10-08-05_

_I was accidentally invited to a birthday party. I met a girl there. She said only two sentences to me but I've never forgotten her._

_Her name was Serena and she was the most beautiful girl I ever saw. She was excited and keen about the whole thing. She could have got started again if it hadn't been for her enthusiasm…_

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She tore her eyes away from it, haphazardly wiping the hot tears threatening to fall from her eyelids. She cleared her throat in an attempt to regain composure, tucked a few golden locks behind her ear, and stowed the pieces of notebook paper safely where it had been.

Barely a minute passed as a shaky sigh escaped her lips, shoulders slumped in defeat. She let her emotions get the best of her allowing fresh tears to fall from her face without even attempting to brush them away.

The only thing that could make everything better was the one thing that caused this much pain.

But it was over.

He was done.

Her pedestal has fallen.

And the pain will never go away.

Serena Van der Woodsen's room was a mess… But not as messed up as her life.

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**A/N**: The letter was, of course, Dan's pre-present for Serena in "Roman Holiday", which I don't own. Sorry, this chapter's way too short but I was just planning on setting the stage, lol. Okay, shutting up now. Tell me what you think.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**: Thank you so, so much for the wonderful reviews. I'm sorry it took quite a while for me to post this. Anyway, please read and review.

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**CHAPTER 2: Best Friends Know**

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"Hello?"

"Blair, it's Lily. Is Serena with you?"

"Oh, hi, Lily. No, no she's not," Blair said, with an almost questioning tone.

"We were supposed to meet in Bendel's two hours ago. She's not answering my calls or messages," Lily said sounding worried.

"Oh, she must have just forgotten. Have you tried calling Dan? Or Chuck?"

"Yes I have, and she's with neither of them. She doesn't usually forget dates," Lily answered.

Like Lily, Blair started to worry. If Serena wasn't with Dan, Chuck, or herself, then she must be alone somewhere or… with Georgina. _Oh no…_ She thought to herself.

"And… I'm worried about her because she was acting strange last night. She was deadpan and very quiet over dinner. She hardly touched her food. When I asked her if she was okay she just stared blankly at me, forced a small nod, and excused herself saying she wasn't hungry," Lily finished.

_She's alone,_ Blair thought. Even if she was sure that Serena was alone she was still worried.

"Lily, I think I know where she is," Blair said immediately.

Without hesitation, she hurriedly grabbed her bag, headed downstairs, and impatiently waited for the elevator doors of her apartment to open.

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Blair was right.

In relief, she quietly released the breath she unconsciously held. She sent Lily a text message saying that she found Serena and that she shouldn't worry because she hadn't met an accident or was she in any grave danger. She couldn't say Serena was okay, though, since she knew, from fifty feet away, that something was not right. As she approached her best friend apprehensively, the pale face, bloodshot eyes and wet cheeks only confirmed what she already knew.

Serena didn't give a damn about anything going on around her. There wasn't much anyway; that's why she loved this place so much. Every time something bothered her, she found herself here, reading a book, writing, or just thinking. But this time, she couldn't even do any of the above. Rather, she was drowning in her thoughts and carefully sinking. She didn't even recognize her very worried best friend come up to her.

"Hey, S," Blair said very softly.

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Seated on one of the benches in Central Park, Serena looked up at her best friend's face.

Worried, empathetic eyes met tired, expressionless ones.

Blair bent forward hugging Serena tightly even before she could sit on the bench herself.

"Your mom's very worried about you," she said.

Despite her eyes being tired and painful from crying and lack of sleep, Serena was in tears again.

"Serena, talk to me. Please tell me what's going on," Blair pleaded. She was very worried that she even called Serena by her name.

Serena was wordless. Instead, she handed Blair the pieces of paper she held all along.

"What's this?" Blair asked, taking the pieces of spiral notebook paper into her hands.

"October 8th 2005?" She asked, reading the date. She looked at Serena questioningly.

"That was Dan's pre-present for me last Christmas," Serena said with a blank, distant expression.

Blair read the story while Serena remained silent sniffling once in a while. Blair could almost smile as she was reading the story, if it weren't for the wretchedness and pain emanating from her best friend.

"S, this is the sweetest thing," Blair said, deeply moved by the story, and a tad perplexed at Serena's sadness.

"B, it's over."

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Blair was too shocked and taken aback that she was unable to formulate a decent reply- or even any reply at that.

"I believed it was forever. I wanted it to be forever," Serena said sadly.

"What happened?" was all Blair could muster. She felt really horrible for Serena. She knew that her best friend truly loves Dan.

"He said he was done, B. I couldn't tell him what's really going on. I was too scared to tell him the truth because I didn't want him to think less of me… And most of all, I didn't want to lose him," Serena said, dying inside.

Blair could only do as much as give her a hug.

"Dan's from a different world," Serena continued. "He wouldn't understand."

"S, I think you should give Dan a chance. He loves you," Blair said, waving the pieces of paper to emphasize her point.

"And even if he doesn't know your past, he knows well enough that you're a good person," Blair said.

Serena looked up at Blair and saw her genuineness. She allowed a small smile.

Serena was a bit shaken at that moment but Blair knew that everything would be okay.

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**Spotted in Central Park**: S and B… not waving white flags, but a profession of love-- in sheets of paper... B seems like she's so sure that everything would be okay. Would it, B? We hear that she would do anything in her power to help. Lucky for S, she IS powerful. We can't wait for what B would pull out of her sleeve.

'til next time…

**XOXO**,

**Gossip Girl**

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**A/N**: I'm sorry… I'm a bit confused now. I just watched "Woman on the Verge" and as I was revising my story, I couldn't help but mix-up my story with what actually happened. Oh well… I'll just set my story before "Woman on the Verge"- when all we had were the promos. So, we didn't know that Blair, Nate, and Chuck were there when Dan said he was done. Sorry, I'm confusing every one again. Please review. Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

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**A/N: **Thanks to rawrxDL0ver for reviewing the last chapter. :D

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**CHAPTER 3: Two Years, Four Months and Seven Days After 10-08-05**

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**Spotted: Lonely Boy… giving 100 percent justice to the name. Why so gloomy? Those dark circles under your eyes don't help in any bit. Haven't been sleeping well, Lonely Boy? **

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The distress and frustration was like preparing for the SATs all over again. But unlike the SATs, this wasn't a test; it was reality. Choking in tests was one thing; choking in real life… was another.

"Argh!"

That was the last straw. Actually, to be more accurate, the last sheet of paper Dan Humphrey had. How could one possibly force himself to write a Lit paper on the love between Romeo and Juliet after the past days' events? It was impossible! Hence, the heaping waste basket. Where is his laptop, you ask? Oh, he's tried- only to be dangerously ruining his eye sight. Staring at a blinking cursor and a bright screen unyieldingly for three straight hours wasn't good at all.

Again, hence, the heaping waste basket.

With no decent paper left and a defeated sigh, he put away his school things. Instead, he opened his drawer, took out an old notebook and opened it from the back. It was a school notebook from the past two school years. At the back of the notebook were doodles, stories, and all sorts of nonsense and perfect sense. It was his escape, his release, his stress reliever, whatever you may call it.

If only he could pass a Lit paper about hurt, pain, anger, and sadness, then he was on a roll. Romeo and Juliet was a tragedy anyway, right?

**But**, and a big but at that, Romeo and Juliet's love wasn't tragic at all. In fact, it was one of the greatest and most wonderful stories of love known in literature. He knew that, at least. And writing with a broken heart, to say the least, wouldn't do Romeo and Juliet's dying for love any justice at all.

So, the Lit paper was hopeless for now. Maybe if he released some of the negative vibes then he'd be much better later. And maybe, writing about Romeo and Juliet's love would be a little less grueling.

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_Two Years, Four Months and Seven Days After 10-08-05_

_Two years, four months, and seven days ago, I met Serena Van der Woodsen, the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. She only spoke two sentences to me then, but I have never forgotten her._

_She was away for a while, but I can still remember when I saw her again on that momentous day in Grand Central. A simple twist of fate found me in the Palace Hotel at several occasions and the rest was history._

_Serena became more than just the girl of my dreams. She was there in every waking moment. That beautiful girl, who only spoke two sentences to me, spoke so much more. _

_And I wouldn't have it any other way. _

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Before he could even continue to the alleged hurt, pain, anger, and sadness, his phone rang.

**1 New Message**

**Hey. Can we meet after class tomorrow? I'm not forcing you but I really hope to see you… You perfectly know what I want to talk to you about.**

_Ooh, how polite. This is gonna be interesting, _thought Dan.

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**A/N: **I know it's short again. I'm sorry. But please, please review. Your reviews mean so much to me. Suggestions, comments, anything at all. Thank you! XOXO


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N**: Thank you **sarah**, **Han**, **aiyoo**, **Gemma**, and **xXx Gemz xXx** for reviewing chapter 3 of my story. :D

Before I start this chapter, I would just like to rant on the season finale… Actually, one thing sums it all up: I DIED!!

Well, I can't wait to see what the writers have in store for us next season… I hope they don't kill me again. I would please like to see Dan and Serena together again… and Chuck and Blair FINALLY together… Please?? And lastly, please get Nate a new love interest, so he wouldn't have to choose between Blair and Serena again.

Okay, that was the rant. Whew! At least I got it out of my system. Now, on with the story…

Oh, and please review. :D Thanks!

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**CHAPTER 4: A Perfect Way To State the Obvious**

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_You perfectly know what I want to talk to you about…_

"Did she send you?" Dan let slip, without thinking. As he realized this lack of brain activity, he mentally nudged himself for appearing so self-absorbed and conceited. He knew it was about Serena, but bringing it up this way, as if Serena desperately needed him and couldn't stop thinking about him, was… not cool.

Most importantly, it isn't as if he wasn't guilty of the same thing.

She was taken aback by his greeting. Before she could raise an eyebrow and make a harsh comment, in utter Queen Bee fashion, she stopped herself. Instead, she took a deep breath and reconsidered the purpose of having to interact with the self-absorbed and conceited person in the first place.

_I'm doing this for my best friend_, she thought.

"She loves you so much she didn't want to lose you. She didn't want her past to ruin the relationship you had… which was close to perfect, by the way," she said straightforwardly.

"And no, she didn't send me. I'm here on my own accord," she said bluntly. She just needed to add that.

Dan looked at the brunette thoughtfully. It felt a bit, no, very, very uncomfortable to be standing there, staring at each other. They started walking with no destination in mind just for something to do.

"What happened to her or how she was in the past is not really important to me," Dan started.

"What's important is who she is now, because who she is would be a reflection of what she allowed herself to learn from the past," he finished, knowing all too well that indeed, Serena learned so much from her past.

"But what if the past didn't just bring some things to learn but a really serious consequence?" she asked, empathizing with her best friend.

"Then, I would like to be there and help her deal with the consequences," he said.

With a sigh, he let himself continue, "I broke up with her because she can't talk to me. She didn't trust how much I love her. She didn't give me a chance to understand what was going on. I knew that she didn't sleep with those guys at the bar, but I still didn't know what was happening. I wanted her to trust me."

"I still love her, I really do, but it can't go on that way," Dan said quietly and honestly.

Dan was surprised with himself. As if waking from a dream, he shook his head sporting a very perplexed look on his face.

"And I really don't know why I told you what I just told you," Dan said quickly, almost mumbling, earning an equally disoriented look from the girl.

"You're Blair Waldorf… and I'm… Dan Humphrey," he said, proving his point and breaking the daze.

He looked at her fascinated. He found it utterly weird to suddenly open up very comfortably to someone he wasn't really close to… Actually, to put it more accurately, he found it utterly weird to open up to BLAIR WALDORF.

"Cabbage Patch," Blair started, in a matter-of-fact tone of voice. "A perfect way to state the obvious, but what's more obvious is that you're telling me all these because I'm her best friend and you know that I'll take care of her and be there for her. You do still love her," she said knowingly, with a smile on her face.

There is still hope.

"You're not so bad, Dan Humphrey," she said approvingly.

"And neither are you, Blair Waldorf," he said.

They started parting ways, both replaying what just happened in their heads. Before they were too far from each other, Blair turned towards Dan's direction.

"But, eww! Don't use our names in the same sentence ever again," came a very Blair-like comeback.

"I wouldn't dare," was the answer.

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**A/N**: Please review. :D I'm getting closer and closer to the Dan/Serena meeting, haha! :D


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N**: Okay, so after how many months, I decide to update. Thanks so much to xoxoDanSerena for the review which pushed me to post the last chapter of this story. Thanks also to those who reviewed the past chapter.

Sorry, it's so outdated. Refresh: Dan and Serena have broken up and Blair's to the rescue. :D I don't know if it still fits in the GG timeline coz everything has been happening so fast and I haven't had the time to watch the latest episodes.

That being said, please read and review. ;D Thank you!

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**CHAPTER 5: I Know, I Heard**

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Blair Waldorf was Blair Waldorf; manipulative, spoiled, genius, and… a true friend of Serena's. He had to hand her that. This clearly explains why he, Dan Humphrey, felt as if he was slapped in the face and brought back to his senses. There, he stood in front of Serena van der Woodsen's front door, not quite ready to face her but knowing clearly well where his heart was... and to whom it belonged. This explains the bouquet of flowers on one hand and the pieces of paper on the other.

He wasn't actually sure if he was ready to face her. Would he just leave the flowers and note by the door? He stood awkwardly, not knowing what to do. He scratched the back of his neck nervously as he unconsciously traversed the still corridor staring at the whiteness of her door. He finally stopped, a few inches from her door.

"Hey…" he said.

Good start, he thought sarcastically, as he stared at the door. He took a deep uncomfortable breath.

"I know I'm not your favorite person right now, but please, hear me out," he rehearsed. His heart started hammering on his ribcage as his clammy hands tightened their grip on the neat handwritten pieces of paper and perfectly arranged flowers.

"I'm a jerk," he started, raising an eyebrow as he realized how pathetic 'I'm a jerk' sounded.

"I… I… I can't do anything that wouldn't remind me of you. Every little thing reminds me of how completely stupid I am to let you go," he started.

"It's just, I just… I still love you, Serena. I loved you the moment I laid eyes on you… and I never stopped. Okay, I'm sorry, that sounded so cliché… For a writer, I should actually know what to stay," he was rambling, "but there are no other words to explain it," he said with a sigh, getting into the moment.

"You lying to me broke my heart, to tell you honestly. My heart is for you, Serena, please know that. And it hurts for it to be broken by that person you give it to so willingly and so lovingly. But, it hurts even more for me to get reminded of you every day and not have you with me," he said more to himself, realizing that he wouldn't actually have the guts to say all these things to Serena.

"I love you, Serena," he said truthfully, letting his guard down, dropping his hands to his sides, loosening his grip. As he did so, the pieces of paper slid from his hand. He sighed heavily as he reached for a piece near the side of his shoe. He rubbed his eyes with his sleeve and when he was about to reach for the other piece, something caught his eye.

He knew that hand anywhere. Long, slender, perfect, candle-stick shaped fingers with a perfect manicure. He loved her hands. Seeing her hand on his paper made his heart beat even faster. He knew he would feel ashamed if she read it in front of him.

He was deep in thought as he freely expressed his feelings that he didn't have the slightest clue she was there. He was so caught in the moment that he didn't hear the elevator ring revealing that one person that mattered to him at that moment… or in every moment.

She picked up the paper with her free hand, stole a glance at the writing, and started to extend her arm to his, paper in hand. She cleared her throat and sniffed softly. The moment his eyes met hers everything seemed to have disappeared. His perfectly rehearsed words were gone; his breath was caught in his chest; and his heart seemed to have stopped. To them, everything seemed to have dissolved; all that was left was the both of them, staring at each other, missing each other.

She had tears threatening to spill from her eyes as they looked at each other longingly. It felt like a dream and both were too afraid to move. He didn't have a clue as to how much she heard of his little speech, but she heard enough. He felt so guilty to see the tears in her eyes, knowing it was because of him.

"Dan, what are you doing here?" she whispered.

She didn't know what to do.

He didn't either.

"Here. You dropped this," Serena said, breaking the static.

"No, they're for you," he said, as he handed her the rest of the pieces.

"A jerk is what I am," he started. Great, he rehearsed a whole perfect speech ending up to sound pathetic in front of her.

"I'm not your favorite person right now, I know that… Please just read it," he said, losing every single word, numb from the peak of his emotions.

"And know that I'm sorry," he finished, handing her the flowers.

"Okay," was all Serena could mutter as she wiped her tears. "Uh, thanks," she muttered awkwardly as she unlocked the door. Dan gave a weak smile as he turned to leave.

"And Dan," she said, making Dan turn his head hopefully.

"I'm sorry too," she said. "I'm so sorry."

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_That was that_, he thought. The moment kept on replaying in his head as he cursed himself for being so stupid. Why didn't he just tell her how he felt? It's supposed to be that simple. He was just to tell her everything and how much he loved her and beg her to take him back… Simple!

"You couldn't even tell the love of your life how much you love her. Stupid, stupid, stupid…" he said to himself.

"I think my front door was crying from your speech…" her cracked voice came from behind him. "…and I'm crying from this," she said to his back holding up the pieces of paper. Even if he wasn't looking, he knew she was referring to his work.

"And I hopped into the elevator praying that you took the stairs," she said.

His serious and desolate face broke into a smile.

"I did," he said.

He turned to face her. Her hair was a mess and she had tears in her eyes, but to him, she was perfect. He wordlessly and eagerly approached her. She smiled as the tears continued to come.

A few inches apart, he reached out, tenderly wiping the tears from her cheeks and tucking blonde locks from her face.

She stuck her forehead to his, closed her eyes, and smiled as he placed his hand in her cheeks.

"I love you. I never stopped," he whispered to her.

"I know. I heard," she said laughing quietly, genuinely happy remembering his "little" speech.

He missed her laugh.

"And I love you," she said as she crushed her lips to his.

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**END**

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**A/N**: I know it's cheesy... I just really miss the Derena scenes, lol. Please review. Reviews make me happy. Thanks!


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